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Sadly, SI only crossed my mind when the media highlights some crazy conservative or racist incident.

I went there once to go to a tiki bar. It was great fun, but it took us longer to get there (from downtown Manhattan) than the time it took us to have a few cocktails and eat dinner. I honestly don't think many non-SI New Yorkers pay SI any attention at all.

I grew up on this island and never lived anywhere else. I'm starting to get that strong desire to move out of SI like every other person that lives here over 20 years. t I'm sick of saying to people "I'm from SI" because I KNOW what crosses their mind.

Guidos originated from here- It's where it all began. Almost everyone's parents/grandparents are from Brooklyn. The racial tension is absurd, I feel like everything here is so backwards as opposed to the rest of the NYC metropolitan area! Hate crimes galore.

Half of the Jersey Shore cast mates are originally from SI. I actually knew the girl Angelina at one point, who was actually recently smashed up side the head with a beer bottle by some classy SI girls at "the mall"

Most NYers would rather SI be a part of NJ, and they consider Hudson County to be more of a borough. More people in SI work in Jersey than they do Manhattan- Jersey/NYC thinks SI is irrelevant- We're only known for the dump (that closed) and the zoo, and when I say "zoo" I mean the mall, but even with the mall- NJ has better ones.

You have to either travel through Jersey or Brooklyn to get to the city- Or you can take a free ferry ride that's for most, way out of the way. Otherwise, NYC pays more attention to NJ. Not to mention that SI has this strange beef against NJ for the sake of being obnoxious- I have family in NJ, it's much better.

There's plenty of great things about the borough I grew up to love. Todt hill is nice, there's more nature here than any other borough, and the houses are generally nicer and in better shape (and they're more affordable).

Sorry about the long rant, but do any of you NYers actually like Staten Island? What are your thoughts and experiences on the forgotten borough?
I'm just curious, I lived here my whole life (24 years) and I'm strongly considering the move to NJ (Hudson County) or Brooklyn.

I may or may not make any impact in your thinking process, because you seem to be, and correct me if I am wrong, a naive -young person easily- mislead and influenced by other uninformed young persons, seeking the status quo. Please, do not take this as an offense, this is merely an observation.

I have lived in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and now in Staten Island for many, many years. I also lived in Jersey City (Hudson County/Henderson Street, New Jersey, for one year, and then back to Brooklyn.) I have traveled extensively throughout the 50 states, as well as abroad. Yet, I will not move out of NYC, simply because I have found to have little in common with people from other states. But let's put that to the side.

You, are one of the chosen few, because anyone living in any other borough of NYC will give their right arm to live in the Todt Hill Section of S.I., which happens to be the most expensive section to live, with almost every house in the milions of dollars, yet you are not happy. You should not care what other uninformed people say about Staten Island. The borough is not for everybody. The only place I would chose to live, outside of Staten Island, if I could afford it, would be the penthouse at Trump Tower...........where I could have everything at my fingertips, and see the beautiful NYC skyline......

Many years ago, when I used to live in the VILLAGE (Manhattan) the beef was with Queens. It was not good enough, too far away, etc., etc. Now, they need a different place to hate, so it has become Staten Island. You should not give a damn what people think about Staten Island, because there is no paradise. PARADISE is within you..........

And most of that talk about S.I., comes from non-New Yorkers, anyway, who have taken Manhattan over, and cannot see beyond that. Yes, we have four bridges, and everyone of them has a toll, yes, we do not have a subway, yes, it is farther to commute to work. But, it is farther to commute to Manhattan, if you live in certain parts of the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens, so there. But, if you live in the St. George section of Staten Island, you are only a FREE ferry ride into Manhattan.

But, we have other ammenities that many people wish they had: nice, big homes, with 2-3 garages, big pieces of land, water all around us, lots of parks, and green places to see, and multitude of trees. Lots of history, The Vanderbilts, The Outerbridges families were part of Staten Island.

May I make a suggestion: Get a camera, and in the Spring, find all the ponds, lakes, greenbelts, wildlife, beautiful historical places, museums, beautiful homes lighted for every important holiday, make a collage, and place it here for all those unfortunate, uninformed people to see what we have, and they are lacking........

My family and I are very happy here with the bluejays, red robins, possums, squirrels, multitude of mature trees, and believe it or not DEERS, from New Jersey. All of this, in the South Shore part of the Island.

Well there, Rubies77, let's not go too far overboard! Most people around NYC don't even know that Todt Hill exists (although you're right about its desirability). Still, I understand where you're coming from, because I feel exactly the same way about Brooklyn.

Nope. New Yorker with no desire to live in a giant house in Todt Hill. I live here because I like city living, walkability, mixing it up with different people, etc. Doesn't make suburban-style living bad, just not for me.

my only issue to SI is the tolls, and the fact you need a car to get everywhere in staten island. Maybe its just bad luck, but every time i took public transportation in SI it turns out to be a disaster!

I may or may not make any impact in your thinking process, because you seem to be, and correct me if I am wrong, a naive -young person easily- mislead and influenced by other uninformed young persons, seeking the status quo. Please, do not take this as an offense, this is merely an observation.

I have lived in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and now in Staten Island for many, many years. I also lived in Jersey City (Hudson County/Henderson Street, New Jersey, for one year, and then back to Brooklyn.) I have traveled extensively throughout the 50 states, as well as abroad. Yet, I will not move out of NYC, simply because I have found to have little in common with people from other states. But let's put that to the side.

You, are one of the chosen few, because anyone living in any other borough of NYC will give their right arm to live in the Todt Hill Section of S.I., which happens to be the most expensive section to live, with almost every house in the milions of dollars, yet you are not happy. You should not care what other uninformed people say about Staten Island. The borough is not for everybody. The only place I would chose to live, outside of Staten Island, if I could afford it, would be the penthouse at Trump Tower...........where I could have everything at my fingertips, and see the beautiful NYC skyline......

Many years ago, when I used to live in the VILLAGE (Manhattan) the beef was with Queens. It was not good enough, too far away, etc., etc. Now, they need a different place to hate, so it has become Staten Island. You should not give a damn what people think about Staten Island, because there is no paradise. PARADISE is within you..........

And most of that talk about S.I., comes from non-New Yorkers, anyway, who have taken Manhattan over, and cannot see beyond that. Yes, we have four bridges, and everyone of them has a toll, yes, we do not have a subway, yes, it is farther to commute to work. But, it is farther to commute to Manhattan, if you live in certain parts of the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens, so there. But, if you live in the St. George section of Staten Island, you are only a FREE ferry ride into Manhattan.

But, we have other ammenities that many people wish they had: nice, big homes, with 2-3 garages, big pieces of land, water all around us, lots of parks, and green places to see, and multitude of trees. Lots of history, The Vanderbilts, The Outerbridges families were part of Staten Island.

May I make a suggestion: Get a camera, and in the Spring, find all the ponds, lakes, greenbelts, wildlife, beautiful historical places, museums, beautiful homes lighted for every important holiday, make a collage, and place it here for all those unfortunate, uninformed people to see what we have, and they are lacking........

My family and I are very happy here with the bluejays, red robins, possums, squirrels, multitude of mature trees, and believe it or not DEERS, from New Jersey. All of this, in the South Shore part of the Island.

What borough of NYC can attest to that?!!!!!!!!!! Warmest regards,

I apologies for making it seem worst than it is on the island. I was just in the heat of the moment after a bad day.Staten Island has been my home for ever, I don't hate it- It's just a hard place to like. Todt Hill is wonderful, but I'm usually all over.

The one MAJOR thing I should of mentioned in my OP was that I'm gay. Staten Island is notably conservative, and many of the people tend to be very close minded. Hate crimes against gays is common here, and I've been tormented about it in the past.
I'm not expecting a place to be totally cool with gays, but Staten Island is a resounding "HELL NO" as far as- "is it a good place for gays?".. I guess it's better than the Bronx.

my only issue to SI is the tolls, and the fact you need a car to get everywhere in staten island. Maybe its just bad luck, but every time i took public transportation in SI it turns out to be a disaster!

They should implement a london like bus system to substitute for the lack of train service

I apologies for making it seem worst than it is on the island. I was just in the heat of the moment after a bad day.Staten Island has been my home for ever, I don't hate it- It's just a hard place to like. Todt Hill is wonderful, but I'm usually all over.

The one MAJOR thing I should of mentioned in my OP was that I'm gay. Staten Island is notably conservative, and many of the people tend to be very close minded. Hate crimes against gays is common here, and I've been tormented about it in the past.
I'm not expecting a place to be totally cool with gays, but Staten Island is a resounding "HELL NO" as far as- "is it a good place for gays?".. I guess it's better than the Bronx.

The good people of North Staten Island have actually voted in an openly gay Assemblyman named Matt Titone twice now. He's been in office since March '07. Maybe it's not the borough you need to change, but just the PART of the borough you live in. Gays get bashed in Manhattan too, ya know? It's a fact of life no matter how "conservative" or "liberal" a place is. If Staten Islanders hated gays though why would we have one of only five openly gay members of the New York Legislature?

I apologies for making it seem worst than it is on the island. I was just in the heat of the moment after a bad day.Staten Island has been my home for ever, I don't hate it- It's just a hard place to like. Todt Hill is wonderful, but I'm usually all over.

The one MAJOR thing I should of mentioned in my OP was that I'm gay. Staten Island is notably conservative, and many of the people tend to be very close minded. Hate crimes against gays is common here, and I've been tormented about it in the past.
I'm not expecting a place to be totally cool with gays, but Staten Island is a resounding "HELL NO" as far as- "is it a good place for gays?".. I guess it's better than the Bronx.

Nope. Lots of Cha Cha Queens in the Bronx.

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